AUSTRALIAN COMPUTER SOCIETY

PRE-APPLICATION SKILLS ASSESSMENT (PASA)

GUIDELINES FOR APPLICANTS

July 2010

Please read this information carefully before you apply for pre-application skills assessment
 Contents

Contents.......................................................................................................................................2
Introduction..................................................................................................................................3
Authority..............................................................................................................3
Professional occupations......................................................................................3
Purpose.................................................................................................................3
Scope ...................................................................................................................3
PASA process......................................................................................................4
References and resources.....................................................................................6
Preliminary procedures and general administration....................................................................7
Communication..........................................................................................7
Record-keeping and privacy...................................................................7
Who can apply for a skills assessment?...............................................................7
How can I prepare?..............................................................................................7
What do I send with my application?..................................................................7
Evidence to support your application..................................................................8
Cost and charges..............................................................................13
Refunds and withdrawals....................................................................13
How to pay the fee...........................................................................14
How long will assessment take?......................................................................14
Application status/Progress of your application ...............................................15
How information is used.....................................................................15
Using a Migration Agent...............................................................................15
Accessing your personal information...............................................16
After your skills assessment............................................................17
Assessment process....................................................................................................................18
Recognition and Assessment of Academic Qualifications................18
Assessment of Work Experience.......................................................................19
Assessment criteria...................................................................................20
GROUP A (suitable).......................................................................................................20
GROUP B (suitable).......................................................................................................21
GROUP C (suitable) ......................................................................................................22
GROUP D (unsuitable)........................................................................22
GROUP E (unsuitable) .......................................................................22
RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING (RPL)..........................................................23
PLAGIARISM................................................................................................................24
Summary of assessment criteria...............................................................25
* References for IT professional work experience may also be included in the PASA
Application if applicants wish to have their professional ICT experience taken into
consideration. .................................................................................................................27
2.1 GROUP D (unsuitable).................................................................................27
2.2 GROUP E (unsuitable) ................................................................................27
Outcomes...................................................................................................................................27
Will my skills assessment expire?...................................................................28
Replacement of a PASA Result Letter .............................................................28
..........................................................................................................................28
Re-validation......................................................................................................28
Reviews and appeals.......................................................................................29
Can I be reassessed?..........................................................................................31
Data matching and false information.................................................................32
Further information....................................................................................................................32
July 2010 2
 Document approval and change history.............................................................33

Introduction

Authority

In accordance with Regulation 2.26B(1) of the Migration Regulations 1994 (Commonwealth

Consolidated Regulations) (the Regulations), the Minister for Immigration has designated the
Australian Computer Society Inc. (ACS) as a relevant assessing authority for skilled
occupations as listed on the Skilled Occupations List www.immi.gov.au/allforms/.

Regulation 2.26B (2) of the Regulations provides the authority for the ACS to determine, at its
sole discretion, the standards against which the skills of a person are assessed as being
suitable for their nominated occupation.

Professional occupations

This document covers ICT professional occupations, which are included in SOL and ENSOL
based on the 1220.0 - ANZSCO - Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of
Occupations, First Edition, 2006, and are assessed by the Australian Computer Society Inc
(ACS).

ANZSCO descriptors of each occupation can be found on the Australian Bureau of Statistics
website at:

http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/1220.02006?OpenDocument .

In addition to the ANZSCO Code descriptions for each of the IT occupations listed, as the
relevant assessing authority, the ACS has set the standards against which the skills of each
applicant are assessed. These are set out in this document and are subject to change.

Purpose

These Guidelines provide detail on the procedures used by the ACS in the consideration of
applications for assessment of qualifications and work experience carried out for the purposes
of migration to Australia.

Scope

The Guidelines apply to the following types of applications:

 All pre-migration applications.
 Those domestic stream applications which have been submitted by applicants who are
in Australia on temporary visas (and who are applying for permanent residency) and require a
pre-migration skills assessment.

The Guidelines do not apply to domestic stream applications other than those described
above.

July 2010 3
 PASA process

Pre-Application Skills Assessment process is the process by which the ACS determines that a
person fulfils the skill requirements specified in this document for migration purposes.

If you wish to apply to migrate to Australia as an IT (Computing) Professional under the

General Skilled Migration categories, you must have a skills assessment from the ACS to
include with your migration application to Australia’s Department of Immigration and
Citizenship.

You must meet all of the ACS educational and professional requirements to receive a positive
skills assessment.

You need to be aware that successfully migrating to Australia as an IT (Computing) Professional

is no guarantee of employment as an IT (Computing) Professional in Australia.

The ACS is not able to give prospective migrants advice on any aspect of the migration
process except skills assessment. All migration-related queries must be directed to the
Department of Immigration and Citizenship. Information and contact details are available at
www.immi.gov.au.

The ACS will:

• process your application and issue you with a receipt;
• assess your application against its requirements;
• request any additional information required;
• finalise your assessment on the basis of the evidence provided; and
• provide you with the results of your migration skills assessment stating whether you
have been found suitable or unsuitable as an IT (Computing) Professional for the
purposes of migration to Australia under the General Skilled Migration categories.

July 2010 4
 Step
Step 1
1 –– Information
Information

Provision
Provision of
of information
information (web
(web site,
site, telephone,
telephone, email
email enquiry
enquiry
service)
service)
Application
Application

Step
Step 2
2 –– Skills
Skills assessment
assessment
Evidence
E vidence review
review process
process
Qualification
Qualification
Work
W ork experience
experience
Other
Other -- licences
licences // certification
certification
Integrity
Integrity checking
checking
(throughout
(throughout process)
process)
Identity
Identity
Documentation
Documentation

Step
Step 3
3 -- Outcome
Outcome Review
Review or
or
Assessment
Assessment letter
letter for
for migration
migration appeal
appeal process
process

Figure 1: PASA process

July 2010 5
 References and resources

Australian Government Includes information for skilled people who want to work, study or live in
Department of Immigration Australia.
and Citizenship (DIAC)

Australian Bureau of
A valuable source of information on the demographics of Australia.
Statistics (ABS)

Australian Government Your connection with government in Australia by linking to information and
services of over 900 Australian Government websites as well as selected
state and territory resources.

Migration Agents Registration MARA can help consumers to find a migration agent and provide advice
Authority (MARA) about the fees that agents might charge.

Australian Government
Department of Education, Your link to everything that's happening in the international
Employment and Workplace education sector.
Relations (DEEWR)

July 2010 6
 Preliminary procedures and general
administration

Communication

Please direct your enquiries about any aspect of the skills assessment process over phone or in
writing (e-mail or letter) to the ACS Skills Assessment administration team, whose contact details
are available on the ACS website http://www.acs.org.au/index.cfm?action=show&conID=acsno.
The result of your assessment will be sent to you or your authorised agent by mail and will not be
released to any other party prior to this.

Record-keeping and privacy

Records of all migration skills assessment procedures will be kept for a period of at least seven
(7) years. Records kept will include correspondence with all applicants and prospective
applicants. Summary information of each application will be kept on a computerised database for
ease of access and for generation of statistics.

Personal information is collected only for the purpose of assessing your application, including for
the purpose of the verification of information from contacts provided by you. Information will be
treated as strictly confidential within the ACS and will only be released to the ACS officers
directly involved with your assessment. Information may be released to the Department of
Immigration and Citizenship or to other parties if required by law.

Who can apply for a skills assessment?

You are eligible to apply if:

• you have skills in one of the professional information technology classifications,

which are assessed by the Australian Computer Society

This is a pre-migration skills assessment. Other requirements for migration (such as age or
English language ability) are not considered by the ACS when you apply for skills assessment.

How can I prepare?

Before you apply you should familiarise yourself with the requirements, relating to your
qualifications and professional experience, described in this document.

What do I send with my application?

When you apply for a skills assessment, you must provide:

• a completed application form

• identification information

• evidence to support your application

• payment of required fee.

July 2010 7
 Evidence to support your application

Important: The evidence you provide is essential in establishing that your skills and
experience satisfy standards set by the ACS.

1. General requirements

1.1. You must support all claims by submitting certified or notarised copies (do
not send original documents; these may be difficult to replace and you should retain
them for your personal records) of the following documents with your application:

 Verifiable independent evidence of your identity and date of birth, such as a birth
certificate or passport.

Note: secondary education documents cannot be used in lieu of passport/birth certificate.

Note: If the required identity information is not provided your application may not be accepted
by the ACS.

 Verifiable independent evidence of change of name (if applicable). This would include a
Marriage Certificate or a Deed Poll notice.
 Verifiable independent evidence of completing all tertiary education or other courses
such as :
 Academic award:
Degree/diploma/certificate stating the title of the award, name of the
awarding institution, the year the degree/diploma/certificate was conferred
and the grade achieved.

In cases where degree/diploma/certificate has not yet been awarded

applicants must provide an official academic record (transcript) which clearly
indicates that the applicant has met all of the course requirements and is
eligible to be awarded the qualification.

Applicants who hold professional and/or vendor certification designations

(e.g. CP, IP3P, ITCP, MCTS, etc.) must provide certification validation ID
with a URL link as a proof of certification to facilitate verification of
authenticity of the certificate.

 Statement of academic record:

Statement of academic record (transcript) showing the names of all the
subjects studied and grades received. Result slips or web results are not
acceptable in lieu of the official academic record.

A legend explaining the grading system must be included.

If the university has granted you exemptions/advanced standing in any ICT

subjects, you will also need to enclose the documents on which the
exemptions were based (e.g. TAFE diploma and academic record or result
slips supporting cross-institutional study at another university). The ACS
acknowledges the autonomy of higher education providers in granting credit
transfer and/or recognition of prior learning in their own programs, however if

July 2010 8
 you do not provide proof of exemptions the ACS will not recognise
completion of those subjects.

 Thesis abstract (for PhD, Doctoral and Masters by research awards)

endorsed by primary supervisor, where possible. When you provide a
certified copy of the thesis abstract, the name of the university and the date
of the thesis publication must appear on every page.

Applicants who have successfully completed an ACS accredited Professional Level IT

education program in Australia, or those who have obtained professional IT degrees
accredited and delivered in the countries of Seoul Accord Signatory bodies are advised to
check the accreditation status of the qualification with the appropriate institution and/or
signatory body before applying.

The evidence is verified against published information available from the issuing institution and
from the ACS list of accredited programs.

 Verifiable statements from your employers to support all your employment as

IT professional.

Important: Hardware assembly, cabling and repair; computer operating; data entry and/or
coding; clerical/administrative interaction with computer applications, etc. are not regarded as
IT professional level employment.

Statements must be dated, signed by your employer or a person authorised by your employer
(the name, position and contact details of the person making the statement must be clearly
indicated) and must include details of the exact periods of employment and a full and detailed
description of the nature and content of your work. Where possible, statements should be on
company letterhead.

1.2. Where past education providers and/or employers no longer exist and you need
this information for your application, you may submit a personal statement on a properly
signed and witnessed Statutory Declaration. The Statutory Declaration is to detail as a
minimum:

 the reason/s why you are submitting a Statutory Declaration; and

 all the necessary detail about your education and/or employment.

Important: If you provide a Statutory Declaration with your application, you must also provide
some form of corroborative information from a third party for the claims made in the Statutory
Declaration.

1.3. If you are reluctant to approach your current employer for a statement of service
that you need for your application, you may submit a personal statement on a properly
signed and witnessed Statutory Declaration. The Statutory Declaration is to detail as a
minimum:

 the reason/s why you are submitting a Statutory Declaration; and

 all the necessary detail about your employment experience.

Important: If you provide a Statutory Declaration with your application, you must also provide
some form of corroborative information from a third party for the claims made in the Statutory
Declaration.
July 2010 9
 1.4. You may submit a reference from your colleague who occupies or has occupied a
higher position than you and is an expert in your nominated occupation, within
the organisation you were employed at, on a properly signed and witnessed Statutory
Declaration. The Statutory Declaration is to detail as a minimum:

 the reason/s why your colleague is submitting a Statutory Declaration and

 all the necessary detail about your employment experience.

Important: If you provide a Statutory Declaration with your application, you must also provide
some form of corroborative information from a third party for the claims made in the Statutory
Declaration.

In this case, you must provide an organisation chart showing upward and downward
reporting relationships. All titles must be included. The organisation chart must be
verified by your colleague’s immediate supervisor. A company seal is not sufficient, the
document must be signed.

1.5. It is important that you provide all requested information with your application. Only the
information provided with your application will be considered during the assessment.

1.6. When assessing your application, the ACS compares your education and employment
experience against an equivalent occupation in Australia. This requires you to provide
very detailed and precise information on your education and employment experience.

1.7. General statements provided by you, your employers or training institutions will not be
sufficient evidence of education or employment experience.

1.8. If you do not answer all the questions on the application form in full or do not provide
sufficiently detailed documentation to support your application, your application may not
be successful.

1.9. Any foreign language documents must be accompanied by certified English language
translations (see section 4 for further information).

2. Self employed applicants

2.1. If you are or have been self employed, you must provide evidence of occupation
specific self employment.

2.2. The evidence should include a personal statement on a properly signed statutory
declaration providing details on:
 the exact commencement and completion date of each period of self employment
 the occupation in which you were self employed
 the nature and content of the work tasks you personally performed
 the number of staff employed and their occupations
 your business registration certificate covering each period of self employment
 a statement on a letterhead from your accountant or legal representative
certifying the name and nature of your business, the exact dates of the period
of self employment and the capacity in which you have been self employed

July 2010 10
  statements from suppliers, confirming the nature of your business, dates of
trading periods, details of the material /equipment purchased and the types of
material/equipment supplied
 statements from your clients covering the entire period stating number of
days/hours worked and full details of the work.
 evidence of any licensing or registration and the prerequisites to obtain the
licence or registration, and
 any other documentation that builds support for the existence and purpose of
the business. This may include information such as certified copies of
advertising or promotional material (including internet advertising etc).

3. Document validation

3.1. All statements must be signed by a person authorised to make, and capable of making,
the statement.
3.2. The name, position and contact details of the person making the statement must also
be clearly indicated.
3.3. The content of all documents must be able to be verified by the ACS.
3.4. You must provide sufficient information to allow verification of your documents.
3.5. You must ensure you keep a copy of all documents you send to the ACS. Documents
will not be returned to you.
3.6. Do not send documents in plastic sleeves or folders.

Important: All supporting documentation MUST match the information as provided on the
application form.

4. Translation of documents

4.1. All documents not in English must be translated by acceptable translators.

Applications submitted within Australia

4.2. Acceptable translations may be obtained from translators accredited with the National
Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI). Details of these
translators can be found in the Yellow Pages or the telephone directory under
‘Translations’ or on NAATI’s website search screen:
http://mail.naati.com.au/naati/pdsearch/pdsearch.aspx .
4.3. Please check the Translator’s accreditation either by calling NAATI on 1300 557 470, or
asking to see the Translator’s letter or certificate of accreditation as a translator in the
languages and directions required and checking the Translator’s ID card from NAATI.
Translations done by NAATI accredited translators must include the translator’s name,
NAATI identification number and accreditation status.

Applications submitted outside Australia

4.4. Acceptable translations may be obtained from:

 A Ministry of Justice (or equivalent) in the country where the qualification was obtained.
 The Australian Education International Section (AEIS) at an Australian Diplomatic
Mission.
 Any Australian High Commission, Consulate or Embassy.
 Private and Commercial Translators.
 The Awarding Institution.

July 2010 11
 4.5. Overseas translations must be done on the organisation’s letterhead and include an
official stamp, the translator’s name, signature and contact telephone number (all in
block letters) legibly printed below the signature.
4.6. It must be possible for the ACS to contact the translator if necessary, to verify the
translated documents from the details provided.
4.7. When submitting foreign language documents you must provide:
 certified copies of all foreign language documents; and
 certified copies of the English translations.

5. Certifying your documents

Documents can be certified by a Commissioner for Oaths, Justice of the Peace, Notary,
Lawyer, Registered Migration Agent, Doctor, Bank Manager, CPA, Chartered
Accountant or any other official in your home country who is authorised to endorse
documents and legal declarations or witness sworn affidavits.

The Department of Immigration requires a copy of what is submitted to assessing

authorities so please retain a copy for such purpose.

Important:

All applicants are required to submit a ‘complete’ application. A ‘complete’ application is

one which is completed in full, is signed by you, and is accompanied by the correct application
fee.

In addition, all applications must be decision ready. A decision ready application is one
which is ‘complete’, and contains all necessary documents which are taken as being your best
case for skills assessment.

An applicant may be requested to provide further documentation to enable his/her skills to

be assessed. If this requested documentation is not received within the specified time frame –
currently 35 days if the applicant lives in Australia and 49 days if the applicant lives
overseas, or, though received within the specified time frame, this requested documentation
does not satisfy requirements outlined in this section and/or does not contain requested
information – a result will be issued based on the documentation held. No further requests will
be made.

Recent work experience exemption

Those applicants who believe that they have met the Australian study requirement criteria to
seek recent work experience exemption must provide all relevant information as an ordinary
PASA Applicant.

Important: Applicants should not apply until their course work for the award by an Australian
educational institution has been completed.

Your PASA application needs to indicate whether you are seeking recent work experience
exemption under the DIAC provisions currently in place for applicants who meet the
Australian study requirement.

July 2010 12
 Refer to General Skilled Migration booklet, available on the Australian Department of
Immigration & Citizenship (DIAC) website for more details.

References for IT Professional work experience may also be included in your PASA
Application if you wish to have your professional IT experience taken into consideration.

Members of the ACS

The ACS defines following Professional Membership levels:

Member - MACS
Senior Member - MACS (Senior)
Fellow - FACS

Professional members of the ACS are still required to submit a PASA Application.

For all ACS Members, we can access the documents you have already provided in your
membership form. Please note that if a document has been accepted for membership, it will
not automatically be accepted for Assessment for Migration purposes and you may be asked
to provide further documents.

Important: Applicants using membership of the ACS must be current financial Members and
hold CP designation before being eligible to apply under the membership discounted category.

Cost and charges

A remittance in Australian currency in the form of either an international bank draft for the
appropriate amount drawn on an Australian bank and payable to the Australian Computer
Society or by credit card should accompany each application submitted to ACS.

Fees may be subject to adjustment at any time. To check the PASA associated costs, please
refer to Cost and Charges web page.

Applications received with less than the full fee amount will not be accepted and will be
returned to the applicant.

PASA application fees are non refundable.

Refunds and withdrawals

Before assessment commences, applications can be withdrawn at any stage.

However, if any preliminary work or the formal assessment has commenced or the formal
assessment has been completed, a refund will not be issued.

July 2010 13
 How to pay the fee

Payment may be made in one of the following methods:

• Cheque / Money order / International bank draft

These should be made payable to The Australian Computer Society.

• Credit card

Major credit cards are acceptable: Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Australian
Bankcard (not eftpos card)

Those who pay by credit card are warned that should the bank decline the transaction,
alternative method of payment must be arranged. Credit card payment will no longer be
acceptable in this instance. Your processing time will pause until a new payment (via another
form) is made. If you are overseas, you should contact your bank about any special
arrangements.

• International fund transfer / Direct deposit

If you wish to pay by transfer, our account details are as follows:

Bank: Commonwealth Bank of Australia

Branch: Corner Liverpool & Castlereagh Streets, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia
Bank Branch Number: (BSB) 062 - 017
Account Name: Australian Computer Society Inc. Council Account
Account Number: 80 - 1049 SWIFT Code: CTBAAU2S

If paying by transfer, please be sure to include your surname in the Remitter Details of your
payment advice so that it can be easily traced in our records. You are advised that failure to
provide this will result in delays to your processing time. Please also include a copy of transfer
paperwork/evidence in the application as proof of payment.

A receipt will be issued to acknowledge that we have received your application and fee.

Please do not send your payment of fees in cash by post.

How long will assessment take?

As a general rule, applicants should allow at least twelve weeks between the time of making a
complete and satisfactory application to the ACS and a decision being made by the
responsible decision maker. Timelines may be extended by a number of factors, including the
complexity of the application, incomplete applications, requests from the ACS for additional
information and the time taken by the applicant to provide additional or revised information.

Please allow for postage times.

July 2010 14
 If you are required to provide further documentation the processing time will
commence once these documents have been received.

Application status/Progress of your application

On receipt of your application you will automatically receive an acknowledgement email that
will include instructions on how to access the ACS secure website to check the status of your
application. Included in this email will be your reference number that you will need to quote for
any further correspondence with the ACS.

It is important to include an email address in your application. Whilst we are happy to assist
you, the best way to check the progress of your application is via our secure website.

When we receive your application, you will be sent a letter/email acknowledging receipt of your
application and the payment of the fee. When the assessment is completed, you will receive a
letter advising you of the outcome.

How information is used

The ACS manages information collected from you in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988.
The ACS collects your information for the purposes of determining whether you have suitable
professional ICT skills.

The information you provide in your application will be used by the ACS and DIAC for the
purposes of verifying your claims and assisting in the processing of your application.

Using a Migration Agent

The ACS normally deals directly with applicants seeking an assessment of their qualifications
and employment experience. Australia's privacy legislation prohibits the ACS from discussing
your application with other people unless you authorise them. Therefore, if you want someone
such as a solicitor, family member or agent to deal with the ACS on your behalf, you will need:

• tick the relevant box on page 1 of the application form

• provide the agent's contact details
• sign the last page of the application form.

Alternatively provide a separate, signed letter of authority.

Download the Appointment of a Migration Agent or Exempt Person or Other Authorised Recipient
form.

To find a migration agent, visit the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA) website.

Important: You can lodge PASA application yourself. A migration agent cannot influence the
outcome of your application, nor can they fast-track the processing of your PASA application.
However, if you do not feel confident in lodging an application, or if your case is complex, you
may wish to use a migration agent to help you. If you do decide to use a migration agent, use
a registered migration agent.

For more information about using a migration agent in and outside Australia, please visit the
Department of Immigration and Citizenship website http://www.immi.gov.au/visas/migration-
agents/.
July 2010 15
 Accessing your personal information

The Privacy Act 1988 may provide you with access to copies of your documents that you have
given the ACS as part of your application.

If you require copies of documents you have given the ACS or that the ACS has given you,
you can write to the ACS at the following addresses:

Australian Computer Society or Australian Computer Society

The National Office Queen Victoria Building
Level 3, 160 Clarence Street PO Box Q534
Sydney NSW 2000 Sydney NSW 1230

What documents are available?

There are several important restrictions on the types of documents available under FOI. For
example, documents which may not be available include:

• ‘exempt documents’ such as internal working documents, or documents affecting the

personal privacy of other people
• documents which are already publicly available or available by paying a fee under another
Act

How long does it take?

The FOI Act allows us 45 days to provide access to the documents you request, or tell you
why we will not provide access.

If you require the information urgently, please tell us. We will try to process your application
more quickly but cannot guarantee a specific response time. (Documents cannot be released
until we have assessed them in accordance with the FOI Act.)
To avoid disappointment, plan ahead and lodge your FOI application as soon as possible.

What document should l ask for?

When requesting documents, make your FOI application as specific as possible. If you seek a
particular document, tell us. This will help us search for the document and respond promptly to
your request.

How much does it cost?

To check the FOI associated cost, please refer to the Cost and Charges webpage.

We will not start processing your application until you pay the application fee. In some
instances there may be additional processing fees (such as photocopying costs) but we will tell
you about these costs if relevant.

Application for Access under the Freedom of information Act (NSW) s.17 & s.35

Download a copy of the Application for Access under the Freedom of information Act.

July 2010 16
 After your skills assessment

If you have received a skills assessment, you need to include it with your migration application
to Australia’s Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC). DIAC requires applicants
lodging a General Skilled Migration application to include all the documents that were provided
with their application for a skills assessment. A positive skills assessment is only one of the
requirements that will be considered by the Australian migration authorities in your application
for migration.

It is in your interest to make certified copies of your skills assessment for your own use, as it
may be required for other purposes.

July 2010 17
 Assessment process

The assessment process examines your formal qualifications along with the length, breadth,
depth and nature of your work experience in any one occupation.

The process determines whether you are capable of undertaking the full range of tasks
expected of an IT Professional.

Work/employment experience is that work ordinarily performed by an IT Professional in

Australia in the occupation being assessed. The job descriptions are as set out in the ANZSCO
Code.

The ACS is authorized to assess qualifications and experience.

Applicants meeting the requirements for Group A, B or C will be assessed as suitable for the
appropriate skilled occupation.

For assessment purposes, all qualifications held by an applicant will be considered.

Recognition and Assessment of Academic Qualifications

For assessment purposes, all qualifications held by an applicant will be considered.

Accredited and Recognised Degrees

"Accredited degree" means a degree awarded by a university to a student who successfully

completed a program of study in ICT, which program is recognised after a physical
accreditation visit by the ACS. Because of the physical visit, only Australian degrees can
technically be termed "accredited degrees".

Accreditation is valid for students enrolling until the end of the year specified in the list of
Accredited University Courses for each course.

Unless otherwise stated, accreditation applies only to the Accredited University Courses
conducted at the named campuses and locations.

"Recognised degree" means a degree normally awarded by a foreign educational institution,

after successful completion of a program of study in ICT, which program has been –

· accredited by the responsible accrediting body in that country, which is a signatory to the
Seoul Accord, or

· evaluated by the ACS as being equivalent to a degree accredited by the ACS or a

signatory of the Seoul Accord. These programs do not appear on the list of qualifications
formally recognised under the Seoul Accord.

Through the Seoul Accord, the signatories recognise the equivalence of the preparation of
graduates of computing education programs accredited by the signatories for professional
computing practice at the entry level.

July 2010 18
 If an applicant's degree falls in one of the categories referred to above the applicant will be
assessed as meeting qualification requirements.

If an applicant's degree does not fall in one of the categories referred to above, the ACS will
use the current Australian Education International-National Office of Overseas Skills
Recognition (AEI-NOOSR) Country Education Profiles (CEP) to establish the educational level
of the qualifications held by the applicant. Qualifications other than those listed in the relevant
CEP are assessed individually.

A Bachelor or higher degree course undertaken by an applicant granted advanced standing,

credit(s) or exemption(s) will only be regarded as undertaken where, in the opinion of the ACS,
credit(s) or exemption(s) are given for equivalent subjects (particularly in terms of IT content)
taken at an equivalent educational level in an institution of equivalent academic standing.

No advanced standing, credit or exemption given on the basis of qualifications from overseas
will be considered in relation to an Australian Graduate Diploma or higher degree
qualifications.

Assessment of Work Experience

The assessment of work experience involves decisions as to its nature and its duration.

To be counted towards the applicant’s suitability, work experience must be both of a suitable
professional level and content and must be remunerated. Volunteer work is not considered.
Work expressed to be at trainee or junior level is also not normally considered unless the
applicant has already acquired a qualification which would have served as a means of
obtaining the skills needed to perform the duties.

Duties involving the assembling or repairing computers, at an operator level, installing and
updating manufacturer-supplied software, data entry and interaction with software-based
commercial systems are not normally considered to be at a professional level.

The duration of employment requires specific start and finish dates (month/year) and an
indication whether the work was full-time pr part-time in nature. Part-time work is counted on a
pro-rata basis with 38 hours or more per week being considered as full-time.

July 2010 19
 Assessment criteria

GROUP A (suitable)

Applicants must provide evidence that they have a qualification assessed as comparable to the
educational level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Bachelor (undergraduate)
degree or Graduate Diploma or higher degree level qualification with a major in ICT in a
highly relevant field to the nominated occupation and at least two (2) years of full time
professional ICT work experience in a field closely related to the nominated occupation,
completed in the seven (7) years before the date of application for Skills Assessment.

Note: Four (4) years of full time professional ICT work experience in a field closely related to
the nominated occupation are required if the ICT qualification/s is not relevent to the
nominated occupation.

Courses must contain at least a major in ICT, and a predominant objective should be to
educate persons to be professionals in ICT.

As a guide, a major in a Bachelor degree must have a minimum of two equivalent full-time
semesters of ICT content. Such ICT content must progress through all years of the program
with at least one third of it being at a demonstrably advanced level (final year level).

The same criteria in relation to ICT content and progression as described for a Bachelor
degree apply to programs which are postgraduate in time but substantially undergraduate in
content.

As a guide, to meet the criteria a Graduate Diploma or Masters degree which is undergraduate
in content and taken usually after a qualification other than an ICT degree or equivalent, must:

Contain a minimum of three semesters*; and

Contain a minimum of twelve units; and

Contain two semesters* of full-time equivalent ICT content; and

Be underpinned by an ICT or non-ICT degree level qualification or an AQF Advanced Diploma

or Diploma or equivalent; and

Have at least one semester* of ICT study at a demonstrably advanced level.

* Duration of study is expressed for full-time study. Where study is completed at a rate less
than full-time, then scaling to the equivalent of full-time is applied.

As a guide, a major in ICT for a Post Graduate Diploma or higher degree qualification which
follows a degree-level qualification in ICT or equivalent must have an ICT content of at least
one third, all of which must be at post graduate level.

July 2010 20
 GROUP B (suitable)

Applicants must provide evidence that they have a qualification assessed as comparable to
the educational level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Diploma or Australian
Qualifications Framework (AQF) Advanced Diploma with a major in ICT, or an Australian
Qualifications Framework (AQF) Bachelor (undergraduate) degree, or Graduate Diploma, or
higher qualification with a minor (sub-major) in ICT in a highly relevant field to the
nominated occupation and at least five (5) years of full time professional ICT work experience
in a field closely related to the nominated occupation, completed in the ten (10) years before
the date of application for Skills Assessment.

Note: Six (6) years of full time professional ICT work experience in a field closely related to
the nominated occupation are required if the ICT qualification/s is not relevent to the
nominated occupation.

As a guide for an AQF Diploma or an AQF Advanced Diploma or overseas equivalent, the
ICT content must be at least 50%.

As a guide for a minor (sub-major) for a Bachelor degree the ICT content must be at least
20%.

As a guide for a Graduate Diploma or higher degree qualification described in 2.2.5 above, a
minor (sub-major) must relate to a program with an ICT content of at least 50%.

As a guide for a Post Graduate Diploma or higher degree qualification described above, a
minor (sub-major) must relate to a program with ICT content of at least 15% and less than
33%.

Following certification courses, either individually or in combination, may be sufficient to meet

the qualifications criteria:

• Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, Microsoft Certified Solution Developer,

Certified Lotus Professional or Certified Novell Engineer (from 1997)
• Certified Directory Engineer from Novell, Master Certified Novell Engineer, Certified
Novell Instructor, CITEC Certified Engineer or Oracle Certified Master (from 2004)
• Microsoft Certified Professional Developer or Microsoft Certified IT Professional
(from 2007)
• Certified Information Systems Auditor or Certified Information Security Manager
from Information Systems Audit and Control Association (from 14 June 2007)
• Certified Information Systems Security Professional from International Information
Systems Security Certification Consortium (from May 2008)
• Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (from August 2009)

July 2010 21
 GROUP C (suitable)

Applicants are assessed in this group when the Application for Skills Assessment submitted to
the ACS indicates that the applicant is seeking recent work experience exemption under the
DIAC provisions currently in place for applicants who meet the Australian study requirement.

Refer to http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/booklets/1119.pdf for more details.

Applicants must provide evidence that they have an Australian Qualifications Framework
(AQF) Bachelor (undergraduate) degree or Graduate Diploma or higher degree level
qualification with a major in ICT in a highly relevant field to the nominated occupation.

References for IT Professional work experience may also be included in the PASA Application
if applicants wish to have their professional IT experience taken into consideration.

If applicable, the length of study in Australia and the time limit for submitting an application for
an Onshore Overseas Student General - Skilled Migration (GSM) visa are not components of
the PASA (Pre-Application Skills Assessment) and are not assessed by the ACS. These
requirements are set and assessed by DIAC.

Specific details of the study in Australia requirements are available from the DIAC website
www.immi.gov.au .

GROUP D (unsuitable)

Applicants assessed as not meeting one or more of the above criteria will be assessed as
unsuitable.

GROUP E (unsuitable)

Applicants who do not provide sufficient documentation within the specified time frame to
enable their skills to be assessed will be assessed as unsuitable.

July 2010 22
 RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING (RPL)

Applicants who do not hold an ICT (or ICT-related) qualification, but have a qualification in
another discipline which is assessed as being at least comparable to the general educational
level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Bachelor (undergraduate) degree or
higher degree level qualification, may apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). Applicants
in this category should have at least six (6) years of full time professional ICT work experience
in a field closely related to the nominated occupation

Applicants who do not hold any tertiary qualification but have extensive professional
development education, may also apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). Applicants in
this category should have at least eight (8) years of full time professional ICT work experience
in a field closely related to the nominated occupation.

It is recognised that some applicants may have spent a considerable length of time in
professional-level ICT employment without having acquired a formal qualification equivalent to
an Australian Degree or Diploma. This employment may have been supplemented by informal
study and/or training in courses conducted by education or industry based organisations.

The purpose of RPL is to give applicants the opportunity to demonstrate that they have
acquired a level of knowledge equivalent to that of a formal tertiary ICT qualification. Emphasis
is on demonstrating what has been learned rather than what has been done. For this reason,
applicants are asked to address as many of the areas referred to in the Key Areas of
Knowledge they consider are covered by their acquired knowledge.

Applicants are expected to demonstrate a clear comprehension of a number of the individual

thematic modules within their chosen knowledge areas. Applicants should also be able to
demonstrate application in at least one of the units or modules which should be clearly
supported by professional references included and the Project Reports submitted in section 4
of the RPL Application Form.

Sufficient detail must be provided to demonstrate the depth and breadth of knowledge
associated with a formal course of study. In addition applicants are required to submit two
Project Reports, each providing a detailed description of a career episode in the applicant’s
employment in sufficient detail as evidence of applying the claimed knowledge to a working
situation.

Applicants are required to provide two project reports.

Of the two reports, one must pertain to project undertaken within the last three years, and the
other for project within the last five years. Projects over two years long may be used for both
reports under either of the following conditions:

• The project has clearly-defined work efforts which took place in parallel, each with their
own solution development and design activities and their own deliverables.

• The project had clearly-defined phases that were executed in succession, each with its
own solution development and design activities and deliverables. Note that a second project
phase that constructs and implements the solution developed by the first phase does not meet
this requirement.

Depending on the nature of the applicant’s role in the project, this would be
expected to cover a selection of such factors as:

• System analysis and design and software engineering methodologies used;

July 2010 23
 • Contribution to the processes involved in the design and implementation of enterprise-
wide computer systems;
• Programming languages, design paradigms and implementation procedures adopted;
• Database and/or file design and management techniques employed;
• Network topologies, including size, distribution and security facilities installed;
• Project management and quality assurance techniques followed;
• Internet application design, including database interactivity and security measures
implemented;
• ICT managerial activities, demonstrating the nature and extent of responsibilities.

Applicants must complete and sign DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP for each project report.

Applicants who apply for RPL and do not hold a recognised tertiary academic qualification will
have deducted from their total work experience a period of relevant IT (Computing)
Professional experience deemed necessary to have reached the level of qualification
allocated. For example, if an applicant is allocated a qualification level equivalent to a 2-year
diploma, they will have two years deducted from the total of their recognized work experience,
and therefore eight years in total will be needed.

PLAGIARISM

Applicants must always indicate when they have drawn on the work of others; other people’s
original ideas and methods should be clearly distinguished, and other people’s words,
illustrations, diagrams etc. should be clearly indicated regardless of whether they are copied
exactly, paraphrased, or adapted. Failure to acknowledge the sources by clear citation and
referencing constitutes plagiarism.

The ACS reserves the right to use software applications to screen any applicant’s submitted
work for matches either to published sources or to other submitted applications. In some
cases, applicants may be asked to submit electronic copies of project reports and other written
work submitted with the PASA application for screening by plagiarism detection services. Any
matches might indicate either plagiarism or collusion.

If at any stage in the assessment process plagiarism is detected, the assessment will be
terminated and the outcome recorded as negative. This information may be provided to other
Australian Government agencies. No refund of the fee will be provided.

July 2010 24
 Summary of assessment criteria

Group A

Level of Qualifications Field of study Work Experience

Qualification/s assessed as A major in ICT highly relevant to the At least two (2) years of full time

comparable to the educational nominated occupation professional ICT work experience in a

level of an Australian Qualifications field closely related to the nominated

Framework (AQF) Bachelor occupation, completed in the seven

(undergraduate) degree or (7) years before the date of

Graduate Diploma or higher application for Skills Assessment.

degree level qualification

OR

Qualification/s assessed as A major in ICT not relevant toAt least four (4) years of full time
the nominated occupation
comparable to the educational professional ICT work experience in a

level of an Australian Qualifications field closely related to the nominated

Framework (AQF) Bachelor occupation

(undergraduate) degree or

Graduate Diploma or higher

degree level qualification

Group B

Level of Qualifications Field of study Work Experience

Qualification/-s assessed as A major in ICT highly relevant to the

comparable to the educational level nominated occupation

of an Australian Qualifications

Framework (AQF) Diploma or At least five (5) years of full time

professional ICT work experience in
Australian Qualifications Framework
a field closely related to the
(AQF) Advanced, or nominated occupation, completed
in the ten (10) years before the date

an Australian Qualifications A minor (sub-major) in ICT highly of application for Skills Assessment.

Framework (AQF) Bachelor relevant to the nominated occupation

(undergraduate) degree, or

Graduate Diploma, or higher

qualification

OR

July 2010 25
Qualification/-s assessed as A major in ICT not relevant to the
comparable to the educational level nominated occupation
of an Australian Qualifications

Framework (AQF) Diploma or At least six (6) years of full time

professional ICT work experience in
Australian Qualifications Framework
a field closely related to the
(AQF) Advanced Diploma , or nominated occupation are required.

an Australian Qualifications
A minor (sub-major) in ICT not
Framework (AQF) Bachelor
relevant to the nominated
(undergraduate) degree, or
occupation
Graduate Diploma, or higher

qualification

OR

Level of Qualifications Work Experience

No ICT Bachelor with at least a minor (sub-major) in ICT, or
no Diploma or Advanced Diploma with a major in ICT, but a
qualification in another discipline which is assessed as
At least six (6) years of full time professional ICT
work experience in a field closely related to the
nominated occupation

being at least comparable to the general educational level of

an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Bachelor

(undergraduate) degree or higher degree level qualification.

Application through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

At least eight (8) years of full time professional

No tertiary qualification. ICT work experience in a field closely related to

Application through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). the nominated occupation.

Group C

July 2010 26
 Level of Qualifications Field of study Work Experience

Australian Qualifications A major in ICT highly relevant Recent work experience exemption under the

Framework (AQF) Bachelor to the nominated occupation DIAC provisions for applicants who meet the

(undergraduate) degree or Australian study requirement

Graduate Diploma or higher

* References for IT professional work experience may
degree level qualification also be included in the PASA Application if applicants
wish to have their professional ICT experience taken
into consideration.

2.1 GROUP D (unsuitable)

Applicants assessed as not meeting one or more of the above criteria will be assessed as unsuitable.

2.2 GROUP E (unsuitable)

Applicants who do not provide sufficient documentation within the specified time frame to enable their skills to be
assessed will be assessed as unsuitable.

Outcomes
July 2010 27
 The ACS will form an opinion on whether you have suitable IT Professional skills based upon
the evidence you provide. Therefore, it is important to provide all necessary information with
your application.

Applicants will receive one of two advices: the applicant’s skills are assessed as being on
professional ICT level (suitable), or the applicant’s skills are assessed as not being on
professional ICT level (unsuitable).

All outcomes are advised by letter. A successful outcome is for migration purposes only.
The letter issued by the ACS is not a qualification, nor does it entitle you to employment in
Australia. In addition, the letter does not exempt you from having to undertake further
assessment requirements of the State or Territory where you choose to work or live on arrival
in Australia. A decision on any further requirements will be made by an appropriate authority
when you contact them.

PASA result letters will be sent via registered Australian mail (postage is included in the
application fee).

Will my skills assessment expire?

An assessment advice of suitable is valid for 1 year from its date of issue.

An assessment advice of suitable for recent work experience exemption applications is valid
for 2 years from the date of issue.

Replacement of a PASA Result Letter

A replacement is a reprint of your assessment result letter, with the original date.

You may request a replacement of your result if you require a duplicate copy of your valid
assessment result.

Complete and sign the Application for Replacement of a PASA Result Letter, quoting your file
number and send to the ACS with the replacement fee.

Please ensure that you include your current address on the replacement request. Requests
will be accepted by post or fax only - emailed or verbal requests will not be accepted.

After your result letter expiry date, you need to apply for your PASA re-validation.

Re-validation

You are eligible to apply for your PASA re-validation if:

July 2010 28
 • You have been previously assessed as suitable as a PASA applicant under PIM3
standard (ANZSCO) but your skills assessment result is due to expire or has expired, or
• Your previous PASA application was received on or after 1 July 2010.

Please note: if your previous PASA application was received before 1 July 2010, you must
lodge a new PASA application.

You need to indicate on the payment section of the application form that you are applying for
re-validation. If you are unsure if you are entitled to a re-validation, please e-mail us and quote
your previous reference number. Please also note that if you do not specify you are applying
for a re-validation, the ACS will assume your application is for a new assessment, and the full
fee will be charged.

To apply for a re-validation, you will need to provide:

 Re-validation application form

 Copy of previous assessment letter (or the reference number)
 Verifiable independent evidence of your identity and date of birth, such as a birth
certificate or passport
 Verifiable independent evidence of change of name (if applicable). This would include a
Marriage Certificate or a Deed Poll notice
 Re-validation payment

Assessment will take up to ten weeks to complete.

Reviews and appeals

If you are not satisfied with your Skills Assessment result, you may apply for a review of your
PASA or you may appeal your PASA outcome.

Review of PASA

If you choose to review your skills assessment, it will be reviewed by a different assessor than
the one who provided the original assessment. Assessor will independently go through the
documentation submitted with the original application together with any new documentation.

July 2010 29
 This will incur a review fee for each review requested. A review of PASA can only be
requested within 60 days of the date of the original assessment result letter.

You are eligible to request a review your PASA for the following reasons:

 Change of ANZSCO Code

If you wish to change your ANZSCO Code you can apply for a review after your initial
letter has been forwarded to you.
 You have additional information that was not included in the initial assessment
application.
 Full review of assessment.

You will need to provide additional information to support your application for review of
assessment.

If you have already used the assessment result letter for Migration purposes, then the
assessment process is regarded as finished and no Review request can be made.

To lodge an application for review you must complete Application for Review of PASA, sign
and mail to:

Deputy Director
PO Box Q534,
Queen Victoria Building,
Sydney NSW 1230,
AUSTRALIA

Make sure you state your reference number in all correspondence. You must include the
Review Fee. To check the review associated cost, please refer to Cost and Charges.

This fee is non-refundable. Reviews take about four to six weeks to process.

Appealing the PASA Outcome

The occasions that may give rise for an appeal include, but are not limited to:

 The applicant disagrees with the grounds for unsuitable assessment

 The applicant disagrees with a formal notification of the assessment outcome
 The applicant disagrees with the resolution of a problem report*

*During the application process or during the preparation phase, an applicant may encounter a
problem that inhibits or will inhibit their application submission or evaluation. The applicant
may file a problem report to obtain resolution to the issue. The types of problems that may be
found include:

• Errors or ambiguities in the ACS PASA Guidelines for Applicants (this document)

• Errors in the assessment administrative system, specifically related to the registration

process and completion of assessment records

An Appeal can only be made within 60 days of the date of the original assessment result
letter.

If you have already used the assessment result letter for Migration purposes, then the
assessment process is regarded as finished and no Appeal can be made.
July 2010 30
 To lodge an appeal you must complete Application for Formal Appeal of PASA Outcome, sign
and mail to:

Deputy Director
PO Box Q534,
Queen Victoria Building,
Sydney NSW 1230,
AUSTRALIA

Make sure you state your reference number in all correspondence.

Please note: You may include reasons as to why you believe the outcome is not
appropriate in your case. You cannot however present any new information/evidence. If
you wish to add new material to your submission you must apply for a review of your
PASA.

You must include the Appeal Fee. To check the appeal associated cost, please refer to Cost
and Charges.

This fee is refundable if you receive the outcome you are seeking. It is not refundable if
the outcome remains as originally assessed.

All documents on your file will be photocopied and forwarded to an Appeal Committee for re-
assessment. Under Australian Privacy Legislation your permission will be required to forward
copies of documents to the Committee.

When requesting an Appeal, your signature will denote your consent to dissemination of the
file documents.

Appeals take about four to six weeks to process. The outcome of an Appeal is FINAL.

Can I be reassessed?

You will be able to undertake a reassessment if:

• You have been previously assessed as suitable under the old guidelines (e.g. PIM 2
Guidelines). Please note that your assessment will be done based on our current guidelines, or
• You have previously been assessed as unsuitable, and feel you now meet the
guidelines.

You need to lodge a new PASA application and pay a full applicable fee.

Applicants seeking recent work experience exemption: please note that once your
qualification has expired, you can only be assessed in this category again if you have since
completed a new qualification that meets the criteria.

Applicants that have previously applied for PASA do not need to provide all documents again.

To apply for a reassessment, you will need to provide:

• A new application form

• Appropriate payment
• Copy of previous assessment letter (or the reference number)
• Current identification if you have been issued a new passport

July 2010 31
 • Additional documentation

Please note that in spite of qualifications or experience previously being assessed as suitable,
the ACS reserves the right to refute the previous decision or request further details relevant to
these credentials.

Data matching and false information

Information you provide to the ACS may be used for data matching with other Australian
Government agencies such as the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace
Relations, Department of Immigration and Citizenship and the Australian Tax Office.

Giving misleading or false information or documents is viewed as a major breach of ethical

behaviour and may seriously jeopardise your migration prospects.

If at any stage in the assessment process fabricated, falsified or non-genuine evidence or

information is detected, the assessment will be cancelled and the outcome recorded as negative.
This information may be provided to other Australian Government agencies. No refund of the fee
will be provided.

The Commonwealth Ombudsman

If you are dissatisfied with the way your application has been handled by the ACS, you may
wish to raise your concerns with the Commonwealth Ombudsman. The Ombudsman will
usually require that you have raised your concerns with the ACS and given it a reasonable
opportunity to respond before approaching his office. Contact details are:
 Internet www.comb.gov.au .

Further information

You can contact the Skills Assessment Section as follows:

July 2010 32
 Courier:
Level 3, 160 Clarence Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia

E-mail
Click Here

Fax
+61 2 9299 3997

Post
PO Box Q534
Queen Victoria Building
Sydney NSW 1230
Australia

Document approval and change history

Date approved June 29, Date Guidelines July 01, 2010 Date of Next July 01, 2011
2010 will take effect: Review:
Approved by: General Manager: Professional Standards and Education
Custodian title & e- Skills Assessment and Accreditation Manager
mail address: helen.martynyuk@acs.org.au
Responsible Division: ACS Professional Standards and Education
Revision Rev. 1.2
Distribution: CEO, Skills Assessment Committee, ICT Infrastructure Manager, Webmaster
Audience: Public – accessible to anyone
Expiry date: June 30, 2011

July 2010 33